Alright, Lets try this again.......
Two years ago now, I bought my first CJ, with the intention of restoring it. I had limited mechanical ability, limited tools, and of course, limited funds. She was a 1978 CJ7 that was rode hard, and just all around shot. The body was toast, but it did have a good 360 motor, T18 tranny, and D300 transfer case, and what seemed to be a good frame. I got it tore down to the frame rather quick, cleaned it up a bit, painted it, and started building it back up. After I got about a year into my project, I found this forum, Way too late! :brickwall
After reading other build threads, and browsing this forum for some time now, I can't help but to think, yeah, I wish I would of done that, or, Damn,that would of worked so much better! So now, with my Jeep about 80 % complete and running, I stand back and look at it, and see everything I could have done better, had I known before. The other major hurdle for this project was that I did not have a title for it.
So, one day last month I spotted a CJ7 part-out in the classifieds here on the forum. Out of curiosity, I messaged the owner (CJinPA), and was able to get the complete rolling chassis with gas tank and steering box for $640.00. And it came with a title! So without hesitation, I made the 3 hour one way drive across the state to bring her home. I went and bought a sand blaster from Tractor Supply, and got to work blasting off all the rust, only to realize my compressor wasn't big enough. So off I was to get a bigger compressor! After blasting the whole frame for two weeks though, I'm having a little buyers remorse after welding shut about a dozen pinholes through the frame, and replacing the rear crossmember, and rebuilding the two rear sections where the rear shackles mount. All that's done now, and I'm finally ready to get painting.....
Shown here, you can see what the frame looked like when I picked it up, and what it looks like now all sandblasted, with my "parts" Jeep in the background. With all the techniques I've learned, and all the products I've seen used here on this forum, this build should rival all the other ones on here that I've drawn my inspiration from. Oh, and instead of a '78, now it's an '86 CJ7 Renegade.....So here we go, again! :thumbsup:
Two years ago now, I bought my first CJ, with the intention of restoring it. I had limited mechanical ability, limited tools, and of course, limited funds. She was a 1978 CJ7 that was rode hard, and just all around shot. The body was toast, but it did have a good 360 motor, T18 tranny, and D300 transfer case, and what seemed to be a good frame. I got it tore down to the frame rather quick, cleaned it up a bit, painted it, and started building it back up. After I got about a year into my project, I found this forum, Way too late! :brickwall
After reading other build threads, and browsing this forum for some time now, I can't help but to think, yeah, I wish I would of done that, or, Damn,that would of worked so much better! So now, with my Jeep about 80 % complete and running, I stand back and look at it, and see everything I could have done better, had I known before. The other major hurdle for this project was that I did not have a title for it.
So, one day last month I spotted a CJ7 part-out in the classifieds here on the forum. Out of curiosity, I messaged the owner (CJinPA), and was able to get the complete rolling chassis with gas tank and steering box for $640.00. And it came with a title! So without hesitation, I made the 3 hour one way drive across the state to bring her home. I went and bought a sand blaster from Tractor Supply, and got to work blasting off all the rust, only to realize my compressor wasn't big enough. So off I was to get a bigger compressor! After blasting the whole frame for two weeks though, I'm having a little buyers remorse after welding shut about a dozen pinholes through the frame, and replacing the rear crossmember, and rebuilding the two rear sections where the rear shackles mount. All that's done now, and I'm finally ready to get painting.....
Shown here, you can see what the frame looked like when I picked it up, and what it looks like now all sandblasted, with my "parts" Jeep in the background. With all the techniques I've learned, and all the products I've seen used here on this forum, this build should rival all the other ones on here that I've drawn my inspiration from. Oh, and instead of a '78, now it's an '86 CJ7 Renegade.....So here we go, again! :thumbsup: